Seven RTI activists boycott CIC national convention inauguration by PM Modi

New Delhi: Slamming the move to leave out a large number of information activists from the inauguration of the annual RTI convention citing security concerns, seven invited activists have decided to boycott the session, which is to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  National Campaign for the People’s Right to Information (NCPRI), of which the seven activists are members, today adopted the boycott resolution and also said it “will use the RTI to probe the sequence of events” behind the decision to not invite their fellow activists to the inaugural of the 10th annual convention of the Central Information Commission. “NCPRI is deeply distressed to learn that the National RTI convention has become an exclusive affair which is being restricted by the central government under frivolous “security concerns”. “We have resolved that the members of the NCPRI who have received invitations will not attend the inaugural session. We will use the RTI to probe the sequence of events and will fight to establish the independence and pro-people democratic mandate of the CIC,” the civil society group said in a resolution passed today. Social activist Aruna Roy, one of the invitees and a signatory to the resolution, alleged that this was happening under the “control” not “influence” of the government. She claimed that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) conducted background checks and verification of RTI activists across the country and many of them were sent e-mails saying they were not being invited to the convention due to “security reasons”. “It is an indication of government wanting to take over the decision-making process to an extent it can. In the history of this government in one-and-a-half years, consultation has stopped and any time access to authority or free governance is so restricted,” Roy said at a press meet. The two-day convention, which is being organised on the theme, ‘RTI: Outlook for the future - Trust through Transparency’, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow. Apart from Roy, the signatories to the boycott resolution are Nikhil Dey, Anjali Bharadwaj, Amrita Johry, Venkatesh Nayak, Lokesh Batra and Shekhar Singh. Noted RTI activist Subhash Agarwal, who also attended the press meet, said he is not a signatory to the resolution but shares the “anguish and disappointment” of the activists on being “insulted” and denied access to the session in such a manner. However, he maintained that he will boycott all the sessions other than the inaugural. The annual event organised by the CIC sees RTI activists discussing issues related to implementation of the transparency law across the country through not-so-formal sessions where they are able to question and counter-question the experts and commissioners. All but one of the past conventions have been inaugurated by either the prime minister or the President and activists claimed that never have they been barred from attending the same. “NCPRI was asked to participate in the convention to provide names of activists from different states and contribute to an exhibition. We were being encouraged to include as many people and experiences as possible. “However, we have come to learn that as the Prime Minister has decided to attend, the number of participants has been severely restricted,” Roy said. “In an unprecedented move, IB undertook background checks and verification of RTI activists across the country. Some people who were invited have been now informed that they will not be allowed for the inaugural session. “Even the names recommended by the State Information Commissions have been rejected reportedly because of so-called ‘security concerns’. Our (NCPRI) contribution to the exhibition has not been taken,” she further charged. Social activist Nikhil Dey said, “We want to make it clear that we do this to establish engagement with a democratically-elected government and hope that the central government will reach out to engage with the millions of RTI users who are playing an unpaid and vital role of establishing transparency and accountability and strengthening India’s democratic character”. The boycott resolution was adopted at the national public hearing organised by NCPRI to mark a decade of RTI. PTI